2021 Yearbook

2021 GRADUATES T H E B R O T H E R H O O D I N I T I AT I V E

BROTHERHOOD INITIATIVE

MESSAGE FROM THE FACULTY DIRECTOR We are excited to be celebrating the second graduating class, featuring BI scholars from our first and second cohort. Among the many accolades of this graduating class, we have scholars who have held various leadership positions, gotten involved in undergraduate research, and received numerous awards and acknowledgements both on and off campus.

This past academic year has presented a number of additional challenges that our scholars endured in pursuit of their undergraduate degree. First, they have faced the on-going effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on their personal lives and families. Secondly, while the remote learning environment brought some opportunities, it also brought its share of challenges.

And lastly, they have continued to navigate the everyday challenges they face as Black and Brown men in America. Despite these challenges, our scholars continue to rise to the occasion to reach the goals they set for themselves. They move into this next stage of their life fully equipped to handle the roller coaster that life will bring.

Our scholars attribute much of their preparedness for what’s next in their life to the Brotherhood Initiative. Throughout this yearbook, you will see that the community of support cultivated in the BI has been integral to their success at the UW. Without a doubt, we are proud of these scholars as they join our growing community of alumni, Brothers Forever. We wish them the best on their post-graduation endeavours and know that they will live up to the mission of the Brotherhood Initiative and leave prepared for a lifetime of leadership, service and success. Congratulations, again, Brotherhood Initiative 2021 graduating class!

Dr. Joe Lott II Faculty Director, Brotherhood Initiative

1

MAJORS: Geography / Data Science OFF CAMPUS LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE Web Developer Internship at Web Key, New Technologist Internship at Microsoft, Software Engineer Internship at Hazel, Apprentice at MIcrosoft, Software Engineer Internship at Tableau, Software Engineer Internship at HBO, Software Engineer Internship at Dropbox QUOTE ABOUT BI EXPERIENCE “You meet friends at unexpected places.”

POST GRADUATION PLANS Nahom will be working full-time as a software engineer with Tableau

COHORT 2

NAHOM ABI

2

MAJOR: Law, Societies, and Justice MINOR: Informatics CAMPUS LEADERSHIP AND INVOLVEMENT Director of Community and Public Relations for the Student Advisory Board OFF CAMPUS LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE Intern at Williams Kastner law firm QUOTE ABOUT BI EXPERIENCE Without the Brotherhood Initiative I wouldn’t have had this impactful of a college experience. The BI has aided me in literally every step of my college career from pointing out places to study all the way to helping me create effective cover letters and resumes.

They have given me the support and help I needed to navigate the University of Washington successfully and I appreciate all of the time and work that they have put into my education and success.

POST GRADUATION PLANS Askia will be working full-time as an Associate Consultant in the Salesforce Academy for Slalom Consulting, while studying and preparing for the LSAT to apply to law school

COHORT 2

ASKIA AMEN

3

MAJOR: Earth and Space Sciences: Geology CAMPUS LEADERSHIP AND INVOLVEMENT Student Associate - Undergraduate Academic Affairs, Member/Mentor - Lambda Phi Epsilon, Member - Society of Hispanic Engineers OFF CAMPUS LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE DASO: Soccer Smart Wall Shadowing Internship QUOTE ABOUT BI EXPERIENCE I have made many great memories and have had the opportunity to meet a lot of amazing people.

POST GRADUATION PLANS Isaac will be pursuing full-time positions as a Geographic Information Systems Analyst, while also continuing to help expand his family’s Mexican retail business.

COHORT 1

ISAAC APREZA

4

MAJOR: Economics OFF CAMPUS LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE Worked for Nordic Rock Capital Search Fund, Worked for MuralNet - a project to help his hometown of Neah Bay get high speed internet QUOTE ABOUT BI EXPERIENCE The Brotherhood Initiative really helped me build a good community of people, and friends I could rely on. It gave me a sense of home away from home, and made my experiences more enjoyable.

POST GRADUATION PLANS Anthony plans to start his own business.

COHORT 2

ANTHONY BITEGEKO

5

MAJOR: Public Health-Global Health CAMPUS LEADERSHIP AND INVOLVEMENT Treasurer of KhSA, Scholarship Chair at Sigma Alpha Epsilon OFF CAMPUS LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE Park Ranger with Bellevue Parks and Recreation QUOTE ABOUT BI EXPERIENCE The Brotherhood Initiative provided an amazing community of mentors and peers who created a great community for me that I will never forget.

POST GRADUATION PLANS Andrew will be starting a full-time position with Fidelity as a Financial Representative

COHORT 2

ANDREW CHHOR

6

MAJOR: Business Administration - Marketing CAMPUS LEADERSHIP AND INVOLVEMENT Officer for First Nations @ UW, Lead Intern for ASUW American Indian Student Commission, Student Ambassador for Multicultural Outreach & Recruitment, Cofounder and Vice Chair of Recruitment for the Native Business Association (NBA), Resident Adviser, Housing & Food Services Student Consultant, Foster Consulting & Business Development Center, Student Representative on the Native Art Selection Committee for Foster School of Business’ Founders Hall.

OFF CAMPUS LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE Business Tax Services (Embark Program) Intern @ KPMG; Student Consultant at Foster School of Business Consulting & Business Development Center QUOTE ABOUT BI EXPERIENCE The Brotherhood Initiative was always a safe place for me on campus. The program allowed me to establish lasting friendships, benefit from amazing mentorship, explore other cultures (and my own), and just feel supported throughout my entire college career. If I were to go back in time, I wouldn’t change my decision to join the Brotherhood Initiative it was truly life changing and one of the best decisions I made at UW. I love you guys!

POST GRADUATION PLANS Jordan will be joining Amazon as a Vendor Manager in their Retail Undergraduate Program.

COHORT 2

JORDAN CRAWFORD

7

MAJORS: Medical Anthropology and Global Health CAMPUS LEADERSHIP AND INVOLVEMENT Member - Phi Delta Epsilon International Medical Fraternity - WA Alpha, Co-Captain UW Men’s Club Soccer Team, Assistant Researcher - Factors associated with low-acuity hospital admissions in a public safety-net setting: a cross-sectional study, Assistant Researcher - Making Healthy Places, 2nd Edition, HUB Starbucks Barista, HUB ETC Cashier/Barista, The Buzz Cafe Barista OFF CAMPUS LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE Covid Patient Testing Assistant, Covid Patient Vaccination Support QUOTE ABOUT BI EXPERIENCE The Brotherhood is more than just a “program” or an “initiative” it’s a family, a community, a support and safety net that has done far more than just enriched my education here while at the UW. The BI has shaped me into the man I am today; being there for me when I was at my lowest while also cheering me on when I accomplished milestones. Every single one of the faculty, staff, benefactors, cohort members, etc., have taken the daunting task of attending a large university, as a Student of Color, and made it into a truly enjoyable experience that I don’t think I’ll ever forget. My biggest thanks goes out to everyone who is a part of, and who has supported, the BI <3 POST GRADUATION PLANS Madison will continue working as a COVID Specific Medical Assistant while taking a gap year to prepare for the MCAT and applying for medical school.

COHORT 2

MADISON DOUGLAS

8

MAJOR: Informatics - Human-Computer Interaction CAMPUS LEADERSHIP AND INVOLVEMENT National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) OFF CAMPUS LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE New Technologist Internship with Microsoft, Program Manager Internship with Microsoft QUOTE ABOUT BI EXPERIENCE I’m glad I was able to join BI and meet so many great people over the last 4 years, truly one of the highlights of my college experience POST GRADUATION PLANS Mohamed will be starting a full-time position with Microsoft as a Program Manager.

COHORT 2

MOHAMED A EGAL

9

MAJOR: Environmental Science and Resource Management MINOR: American Indian Studies CAMPUS LEADERSHIP AND INVOLVEMENT NUW Scholars Lead Mentor, Intellectual House Student Assistant, Greg Wilson Early Mammal Paleontology Lab, Abolition Institute Conference Participant OFF CAMPUS LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program (DDCSP) Scholar, Natives at UW (NUW) Scholar Lead Peer Mentor QUOTE ABOUT BI EXPERIENCE The Brotherhood Initiative was instrumental in my success at the University of Washington and gave me a community of brothers and mentors that I will carry with me after I leave campus.

POST GRADUATION PLANS Faustino plans to take a gap year after graduation, during which he will be looking for research scientist positions before applying to graduate school.

COHORT 2

FAUSTINO HAMPSON-MEDINA

10

MAJOR: Sociology MINOR: Informatics CAMPUS LEADERSHIP AND INVOLVEMENT Somali Student Association, Young Executives of Color, Foster School of Business Undergraduate Diversity Services (UDS) OFF CAMPUS LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE Flowroute Business Intern & Accenture Consulting Summer Analyst QUOTE ABOUT BI EXPERIENCE A program that made a really big school feel small. Being able to be unapologetically black, diverse, and unique. I was able to see successful people that looked like me ensuring me that I could be great one day.

POST GRADUATION PLANS Omar will be starting a full-time position with Accenture as a Consulting Analyst.

COHORT 2

OMAR HASSAN

11

MAJOR: Medical Anthropology and Global Health MINOR: Informatics CAMPUS LEADERSHIP AND INVOLVEMENT EcoReps project manager, Research assistant OFF CAMPUS LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE Project intern at Iterative QUOTE ABOUT BI EXPERIENCE The Brotherhood Initiative definitely made the transition in to UW easier. Having a class where I knew my peers had similar experiences and backgrounds to me was really helpful.

POST GRADUATION PLANS Marcos plans to work in UX design or web development and is currently searching for fulltime job opportunities.

COHORT 1

MARCOS HERNANDEZ-IBARRA

12

MAJOR: Business Administration - Information Systems MINOR: Informatics CAMPUS LEADERSHIP AND INVOLVEMENT Foster BIG Consulting QUOTE ABOUT BI EXPERIENCE The Brotherhood Initiative provided me with a support system at UW that helped me navigate my 4 years at UW. Through the Brotherhood I was able to build meaningful relationships with mentors and other members that helped push me through the toughest times at UW. POST GRADUATION PLANS Abdulrahman is currently looking for a full-time position in the tech industry, while also preparing to apply for a master’s program.

COHORT 2

ABDULRAHMAN IDRIS

13

MAJOR: Geography: GIS, Mapping, and Society CAMPUS LEADERSHIP AND INVOLVEMENT Rainier Scholars OFF CAMPUS LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE Highspot, LastMyle QUOTE ABOUT BI EXPERIENCE The BI gave me a community to be a part of a Brotherhood and have a team to fall back on.

POST GRADUATION PLANS Ephriam will be starting a full-time position with Highspot as an Account Development Representative.

COHORT 1

EPHRIAM KASSA

14

MAJOR: Earth and Space Sciences - Physics CAMPUS LEADERSHIP AND INVOLVEMENT Undergraduate Research Lab Assistant, Department of Earth & Space Sciences UW STEM Futures Fellow QUOTE ABOUT BI EXPERIENCE It was amazing POST GRADUATION PLANS Daniel plans to pursue a career in astronomy and is currently looking for full-time opportunities.

COHORT 1

DANIEL LOPEZ

15

MAJOR: Political Science - International Security MINORS: Military Science and Leadership / Law, Societies & Justice CAMPUS LEADERSHIP AND INVOLVEMENT Army ROTC, UW Track & Cross Country, UW Triathlon Club QUOTE ABOUT BI EXPERIENCE The Brotherhood Initiative motivated me to become more aware of issues minorities face in this country. I have been very politically active and hope to help all minorities that face racism of all kinds and economical struggles.

POST GRADUATION PLANS Roberto is pursuing a career in the United States Army and was recently promoted as an Army Officer Second Lieutenant.

COHORT 1

ROBERTO LOPEZ

16

MAJOR: Sociology CAMPUS LEADERSHIP AND INVOLVEMENT Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity: Vice President, Recruitment Chair, Social Chair OFF CAMPUS LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE CEO of University Eats UW QUOTE ABOUT BI EXPERIENCE I was able to find a family in a school so big POST GRADUATION PLANS Mohamed has a full-time position with Highspot as an Account Development Representative.

COHORT 2

MOHAMED NOUR MOHAMED NOUR

17

MAJOR: Computer Science CAMPUS LEADERSHIP AND INVOLVEMENT UW hyperloop OFF CAMPUS LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE Three Software Engineering internships with Google QUOTE ABOUT BI EXPERIENCE The Brotherhood Initiative gave me a place where I knew I could get unsolicited help and advice from people like me POST GRADUATION PLANS Ikechi has a full-time position with Google as a software engineer.

COHORT 2

IKECHI NWANKWO

18

MAJORS: Community, Environment and Planning / Political Science MINORS: Architecture / Law, Societies and Justice CAMPUS LEADERSHIP AND INVOLVEMENT ASUW Student Body Vice-President, Brotherhood Initiative Marketing Intern, Zeta Psi Fraternity member and Philanthropy Chair, National Science Foundation Sustainable Architecture Undergraduate Researcher, First Year Programs Orientation Leader, Brothers in Color RSO cofounder, National College Fair College of Built Environment representative University of Washington Capitol Project Committee Member OFF CAMPUS LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE Project Engineer Intern Venture General Contracting, Tacoma Public Schools Planning and Construction Intern, Heir Football Academy Graphic Designer, Wheel Fun Rentals Supervisor QUOTE ABOUT BI EXPERIENCE The Brotherhood Initiative has provided me with support in ways I could have never imagined. The program has given me a steady campus job, consistent advising, a career relevant network, and friends that will last a life time.

POST GRADUATION PLANS Dalton has a full-time position with Venture General Contracting as a Project Engineer. He also plans to volunteer with the Seattle City Council Design Commission.

COHORT 2

DALTON OWENS

19

MAJOR: Economics OFF CAMPUS LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE Part-time Legal Intern at Leading Retirement Solutions , Summer Internship at the Calista Corporation, Summer Internship at the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, Intern/Student Assistant at the EOP Scholars Academy QUOTE ABOUT BI EXPERIENCE The Brotherhood Initiative has always been a reliable place of support and encouragement at the UW. I have made some of my best friendships with my cohort members, and I’ve always had an advocate in the BI team. I’m grateful to have been a part of the BI since Freshman year.

POST GRADUATION PLANS Kyle will be pursuing a law degree at the University of Washington Law School beginning in Fall 2021.

COHORT 2

KYLE REARDEN

20

MAJOR: Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health MINOR: Education, Learning, and Society CAMPUS LEADERSHIP AND INVOLVEMENT President - Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity, Inc., Secretary - Lift Heavy, Live Happy Member, Purple Group & Leadership Without Borders OFF CAMPUS LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE DAWGS crew QUOTE ABOUT BI EXPERIENCE The BI provided me with resources and support that aided me to continue pursuing my education. I never would have believed I would be graduating from UW and especially look into any masters programs.

POST GRADUATION PLANS David will be pursuing a Master’s in Teaching with a focus on Elementary Education from the University of Washington’s College of Education beginning in Summer 2021.

COHORT 2

DAVID TELIX SILVERIO

21

MAJOR: Public Health-Global Health CAMPUS LEADERSHIP AND INVOLVEMENT Pharmacology research in Dr. Edward Kelly’s Lab, Minority Association of Pre-Health Students OFF CAMPUS LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE Seattle Childrens Hospital URM research internship.

QUOTE ABOUT BI EXPERIENCE I have made great friendships and connections.

POST GRADUATION PLANS Wade plans to work in research while also applying for graduate programs in healthcare management and studying to take the MCAT.

COHORT 1

WADE WASHINGTON

22

MAJOR: Computer Science & Software Engineering CAMPUS LEADERSHIP AND INVOLVEMENT National Society of Black Engineers OFF CAMPUS LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE Software Engineering Intern at Liberty Mutual QUOTE ABOUT BI EXPERIENCE It’s been a blessing to be a part of a community that cares about my success and well-being not just as a student, but as a human.

POST GRADUATION PLANS Tensae currently has a software engineering internship with Liberty Mutual. Upon completion, he plans to search for full-time software engineering positions.

COHORT 1

TENSAE WOLDESELASSIE

23

MAJOR: Education, Communities & Organizations MINOR: Informatics CAMPUS LEADERSHIP AND INVOLVEMENT UW National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Programs Chair OFF CAMPUS LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE Two New Technologist Internships with Microsoft, Professional Services Internship with Amazon Web Services (AWS) QUOTE ABOUT BI EXPERIENCE We’re all in this together :) POST GRADUATION PLANS Ibrahim has an internship as a Program Manager with Microsoft. Upon completion, he plans to search for a full-time position.

COHORT 2

IBRAHIM YUSUF

T H E B R O T H E R H O O D I N I T I AT I V E

www.brotherhoodinitiative.org @uwbrotherhood